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The Atlas 2000 Survey - a review of TL60
GRAHAM SMITH
48, The Meads, Ingatestone, Essex CM4 OAE
For the past three years Ailsa Wildig, Peter Heywood, Tony Boniface, Stephen & Geoffrey Wilkinson
and myself have been carrying out survey work in TL60 for the new BSBI National Atlas and
between us we have succeeded in covering virtually all one hundred 1km squares. Apart from any
scientific value resulting from our work the effort involved has been a lot of fun. The following
notes are not meant to be the last word on the flora of TL60 as there may well be many other records
of which I am unaware.
TL60 occupies a central position in Essex, the borders extending from the outskirts of Stock in the
SC to Chelmsford in the NC, Berners Roding in the NW and Blackmore in the SW." 'Although the
surface geology is dominated by leached chalky boulder clay to the north and west and London clay
to the cast the square's most important botanical habitat, Writtle Forest, occupies an area of Claygate
beds containing pockets of Bagshot Sands and pebble gravels, much of which is acidic in nature.
Narrow strips of alluvial gravels along the principal rivers in the square- the Wid, Can and Chelmer
- plus a couple of isolated patches of glacial sands and gravels completes the picture.
The dominant habitat within the square is, of course, arable farmland. The economics of modern day
farming have imposed a dull conformity on the landscape compared with a few years ago. Some
landowners may still be more competent than others but a lazy or laid back farmer would not be able
to muddle through for long nowadays and farming operations on many estates are increasingly being
contracted out to huge agri-businesses. This, combined with a plethora of regulations relating to the
health and safety aspects of crop storage, has resulted not only in uniformly tidy fields but depressingly
sterile farmyards as well. The once commonplace higgedly-piggedly farmyards of my youth are now
confined either to smallholdings or to a rapidly declining band of eccentrics who cling stubbornly to
the old ways. The naturally tidy minded are able, of course, to impose their views on the landscape
with the help of modern herbicides. These are particularly effective in cereal crops and during the
past three years I've endured many a dour slog through seemingly weed free wheat and barley fields.
It is less easy to control weeds in broad-leavcd crops and I soon learned to make a beeline for any
oilseed rape, pea or bean field in each square. Some species seem remarkably resilient in the face of
these sprays and are quick to colonise untreated field borders or comers, often in impressive numbers.
Common Orache Atriplex patula, Fat Hen Chenopodium album, Many-seeded Goosefoot C.
polyspermum, Scentless Mayweed Tripleurospermum inodorum, Black Nightshade Solanum nigrum.
Field Pansy Viola arvensis, Chickweed Stellaria media, Field Forget-me-Not Myosotis arvensis,
Redshank Persicaria maculosa, Knotgrass Polygonum aviculare and even the humble Scarlet
Pimpernel Anagalis arvensis arc all fine examples of such species together with those age old enemies
of the farmer, Black Grass Alopecurus myosuroides and Wild Oat Avena fatua.
GM technology could soon change this situation for the worse, though, as it is centered on such
broad-leaved crops with a view to making them resistant to herbicides. There are times, during the
debate on this issue in the national press, when it seems that some agricultural economists will not be
happy until they have eradicated every last weed from arable land while, at the same time, insisting
that it is very good for the environment because they will need to use less herbicide to accomplish it!
As it is, the sweeter arable soils still support good numbers of both Sharp Kickxia elatine and Round-
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 17 (2000)